Babble On and On

Babylon 5 was, in humble opinion, the best sci-fi on television. The stories were compelling, the writing was tight, the dialogue was naturally witty and often poignant, and the actors' performances were authentic. The show even got the science right. And it all centered around a five year story arc, the scope of which is almost unparalleled in television. It was, for lack of a better word, epic.

So I was sad when it was over. When I got the chance, years later, to watch the entire series from beginning to end, I was even more impressed. My praises of the show ultimately led to my participation here. But when it was over, again I was saddened. The same thing happened when Nancy and I recently watched the series. Babylon 5 was gone, and we missed it.

When we got a Netflix subscription for Christmas, the follow-up series Crusade was one of the first things we queued. We've been through one disk of the 13-episode series, and so far so good. It's not as good as B5, but sequels never are (with the possible exceptions of The Godfather Part II, Toy Story 2, and Addams Family Values). But it's kept us in touch with that universe, and made us wonder if someday we might go back.

So imagine my joy to hear that the first installment of Babylon 5: The Lost Tales is scheduled for release on DVD sometime in the first half of this year.

A synopsis from The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 gives the following overview:

While travelling from Minbar to Babylon 5 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Interstellar Alliance, Sheridan picks up an unexpected guest with a dire warning. Meanwhile, Lochley summons a priest to the station to help with a problem that may have supernatural implications.

There's even a link to some photos taken on-set by series creator J. Michael Straczynski.

And if all of that weren't enough, the second installment of the anthology will feature a story with one of the best characters from the original series: former B5 security chief Michael Garibaldi.

Too bad there will be no more stories with G'Kar, Dr. Franklin, or Zathras, though.